Among the many charms of the 2014 Audi R8 Spyder is its embrace of the exclamation mark. Press the button below the new seven-speed S tronic transmission’s gearshift lever, and the instrument panel proclaims, “Sport mode on!” Press it again, and the car responds with similar enthusiasm for “…off!” Appropriate sentiments, both of them, as in either mode the gearbox represents a significant upgrade for a car that was nearly perfect already.

The R8 coupe has been around for six years; the spyder, three. If this were a normal car, it might be time for an overhaul—but it’s not, and this isn’t. Audi is just dotting i’s and crossing t’s for 2014, with the S tronic dual-clutch automatic the most crucial change in spec. It supplants the old, balky six-speed R tronic automated manual and offers smoother, quicker shifts. It’s not faultless, however. Sport mode, in particular, can generate abrupt downshifts, and occasionally, the transmission’s computer brain makes questionable choices. You are, of course, free to foul up gear selection all on your own using the redesigned, larger shift paddles. Although they are still attached to the steering wheel rather than the column, that wheel now comes wrapped in nice, grippy perforated leather.

More Shifting, Less Googling

In 2012, Audi bumped the 4.2-liter V-8 to 430 horsepower, and that figure carries over for 2014. (There was no 2013 R8.) Torque output is 317 lb-ft, same as it ever was. The new transmission promises better performance over the old manumatic, with Audi claiming a 0.2-second improvement in 0-to-60-mph times. We did the deed in 4.0 seconds on our way to a 12.6-second quarter-mile at 111 mph. That’s as quick as the original R8 coupe, despite the heavier spyder’s registering 3916 pounds on our scales. Extra overdrive gears—the seven-speed S tronic has three versus one in the six-speed R tronic—boost the R8’s EPA numbers, too. Highway mileage jumps from 21 to 23 mpg. City and combined estimates are up one each, to 14 and 17, respectively; we saw 16 mpg overall.

The other hardware change for the 2014 R8 is the “wave” brakes from the RS5; these are now fitted standard. The aluminum-and-steel design uses rotors with scalloped edges to shave 1.5 pounds each and improve heat dissipation. We saw braking performance on the R8 Spyder improve by three feet in our 70-mph-to-0 stopping test, to 153 feet.

If the karmic payback for drivers unwilling to enjoy banging the R8’s brilliant stick shift through its aluminum gates is no longer so harsh, the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic does add $9100 to the R8’s price tag over the standard six-speed manual. Equipped as such, our R8 spyder V-8 tester stickered for $155,050, including a $1300 gas-guzzler tax. Upcharges on our test car were not as outrageous as those routinely found on other German sports cars, but $1700 for piano-black decorative inlays, $900 for lighted doorsills, and $250 for contrast stitching (on top of $5500 already spent on the full leather package) fall nearer to the price-gouging end of the spectrum than they do the what-should-be-included-as-standard-on-a-six-figure-sports-car side.

Speaking of which, the R8 is not offered with the latest version of Audi’s MMI infotainment system, the one with Google Earth and a touchpad that recognizes your own finger-traced i’s and t’s. A more basic navigation and multimedia system is a $2100 option, and an extra $100 gets you an iPod cable instead of a CD changer.

The rest of the R8 package sees little change outside of minor stuff: LED headlights and taillights, new mirrors, and some upgraded interior trim. There are now round tailpipes and new badges, as well. Still, this is all good, as the R8 remains as striking as when we first gazed on it in 2007. Perhaps we should end that sentence—and this review—with an exclamation mark!

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